Ice-cream spoon.



No. 781,899. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. R. NIELSEN.

ICE CREAM SPOON.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 16. 1904;,

fiwenfol? UNITED STATES Patented February 7, 19C 5.

PATENT QEEICE.

RASMUS NIELSEN, OF TROY, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CATHERINE NlELSEN AND HENRY SNOlV GILES, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

ICE-CREAM SPOON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,899, dated February '7, 1905,

Application filed May 16,1904. Serial No. 208,309-

To rr/l whom it nmy concern.-

Be itknown that l, Ensues NIELSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Ice- Cream Spoon, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ice-cream spoons ordinarily used in dipping a predetermined amount of ice-cream and disengaging it by manipulating a linger-piece. Various forms of such spoons have been made, one provided with means for returning the disengaging bail to its normal position auton'latically after the ice-cream has been delivered. Another has been made where the disengaging means had to be returned by hand. In both of these forms of spoons considerable difliculty has been experienced by not being able to take them apart for cleaning. Cream, as is well known, finds its way into the crevices of a spoon of this type and in a short time sours and will eventually rust the parts. This condition will sooner or later become unhealthy.

According to my invention 1 construct a bowl with discharging-arms therein and connect the arms with a mechanism adapted to be manipulated with the tinger of the operator and automatically returned to its normal position and arrange the parts in such manner that they may be readily taken apart and cleaned.

It is the peculiar arrangement of parts whereby the discharging-arms are automatically returned and adapted to be quickly removed and replaced which I regard as of the utmost importance.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to, and be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, parts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the cream-discharging device and its spring. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 1 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view, but showing the linger-piece turned in the opposite extreme position to discharge the cream from the bowl.

The same numerals refer to like parts in all the figures.

1 indicates a spoon of preferred configuration and comprising a bowl 2 and handle 3. The handle is provided with a longitudinal groove 4, terminating at one end in the bowl 2 and at or near its opposite end in a slot 5, and a short groove 6, the extension 6 between the slot and end of groove forming a bearing 7. The portion of the handle in which is formed the groove is preferably above the plane of the grip 9 to properly position the parts to place them for the natural and convenient grasp of the hand.

A shaft 11 with a square end 11 is mounted in the bearing 7 and groove at, and at its end adjacent the bowl it is provided with two discharging arms or cutters 12, one of which is normally at the center of the bowl, while the other is at the outer edge of the same. However, I do not regard this specific feature of the disclosure as part of this invention, and any other form of discharging or cutting device may be employed. A trunnion 13 projects from the cutters in line with the shaft 11 and finds abearing in the bowl, as indicated at 15. Fitting around the shaft 11 is a coiled spring 16, one end of which is secured to a pin 17 on said shaft, and its opposite end is extended to form a hook 18 to engage the lower edge of the handle 3, as indicated at 1.7. The spring when in operative position fits in the slot 5, so that the hooked end may be readily and quickly inserted or taken out. On the squared end 11 of the shaft is a thumb-piece 19, the lower end of which is provided with two bearing-points 20 and 21 to limit the movement of the shaft in operation and an intermediate notch 22, cooperating with a lug 23 on the handle.

In assembling the parts shaft 11, with the spring 16, is dropped in the groove 4, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. in this position the hook of the spring passes vertically through the slot 5 and the trunnion 13 is inserted in its bearing. The arms are now turned partially around in the direction of the arrow A, which causes the hook 18 to bear against the side of the handle and winds the spring and also serves to lock the shaft and its cooperating parts against accidental displacement. The tension of the springalso tends to draw the shaft 11 downwardly and retain it in the groove. This peculiar connection saves providing special means accomplishing the individual results and is what I regard as of special importance. The shaft 11 having been turned to wind thespring, the thumb-piece, which has a hole corresponding to the shape of the end 11, is positioned so that its notch 22 will pass over the lug 23 and onto the shaft. The operator releases hold on the shaft, and the tension of the spring will tend to turn the bearing-point 21 against the side 2 of the handle, which causes the discharging and cutting blades to assume the position shown in Fig. 1. The spoon is now ready for operation. After the bowl has been filled with cream and it is desired to discharge it the thumb of the operator is pressed against the thumb-piece 19 in the direction of the arrow B until the point 20 strikes against the handle, at which time the normally central cutter and the outer cutter are in reverse positions. This movement entirely severs the bottom of the cream from the bowl and allows it to be discharged in the usual manner, and upon release of pressure on the thumb-piece the spring returns the parts to normal position.

To dismantle the discharging-blades for cleaning, the operator turns the thumb-piece to bring the notch 22 into alinement with the lug 23 and holds the blades from turning.

The thumb-piece is then pushecl off the shaft and the blades allowed to gradually assume their extreme position, due to the relieving of the tension of the spring, whereupon the shaft is given a slight rearward'movement to disengage the trunnion 13 from its bearing .and the shaft and its parts can be separated from the spoon.

My invention is extremely simple and durable and can be operated with little effort and great speed. quickly and conveniently assembled or dismantled at will, and owing to the small number of parts the spoon can be repaired with little cost.

1 claim 1. An ice-cream spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, discharging means in the bowl, a shaft connected to said means, a spring, means securing the spring to the shaft, a bend formed in the spring, said bend engaging the handle to permit the spring being placed under tension and also serving to hold the shaft to the spoon, and an operating-piece secured to the shaft.

Furthermore, the parts can be 2. An ice-cream spoon comprising a bowl, and a handle, discharging means in the bowl, means for placing said means under tension, an operating-piece formed with two bearingpoints, which strike the handle and limit the movement of the discharging means, a lug, and a notch formed in the operating-piece, which is adapted to be alined with the lug to permit the disengagement of the operatingpiece.

3. An ice-cream spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, formed with a groove, means in the bowl for discharging cream therefrom, a shaft secured to said means and fitting the groove of the handle, a spring on the shaft, one end of said spring fastened to the shaft, a bend formed in the spring, said bend engaging the handle to place said spring under tension when the shaft is turned, the bend in the spring also serving to hold the shaft in the groove, an operating-piece on the handle, said operating-piece having two bearing-points to engage the handle to limit the movement of the discharging means in the bowl, and means to permit the disengagement of the operating-piece from the shaft.

4. An ice-cream spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, discharging means in the bowl, a shaft connected to said means, means cooperating with the shaft for placing the discharging means under tension and at the same time serving to lock the shaft to the spoon, a lug, and an operating-piece on the shaft, said piece cooperating with the lug to retain it in position on the shaft.

5. An ice-cream spoon comprising a bowl and handle formed with a groove, a discharging means in the bowl, a shaft connected therewith and seated in groove of the handle, a spring on the shaft, one end of said spring fastened to the shaft, a bend formed in the spring which engages the handle to permit said spring being placed under tension when the shaft is turned, the bend in the spring also serving to hold the shaft in the groove, and a detachable operatingpiece secured to the shaft.

6. An ice-cream spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, discharging means in the bowl, a shaft connected to said means, means cooperating with the shaft for placing the discharging means under tension and at the same time serving to lock the shaft to the spoon, and means connected to the shaft for operating the discharging means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RASMUS NIELSEN. WVitnesses:

L. H. GILEs, NELs P. NIELSEN. 

